Comms tips for science and tech companies looking for investment

Field Notes 03: Golden Triangle founders and business leaders share how strategic communications can build investor confidence.

From quantum and fusion to drug discovery and AI, the Golden Triangle is a powerhouse for breakthroughs.

The companies attracting the strongest confidence from investors are often those most able to communicate with a clear and compelling narrative.

Fieldcraft spoke with founders and brand experts to gather their top tips on turning the technical strengths of the region’s start-ups into stories that drive commercial impact.

We spoke to:

• Sarah Haywood, Managing Director of Advanced Oxford – the membership organisation representing senior leaders across the county’s knowledge-intensive economy

• Phil Hunter, CEO of Layrr – a materials science company specialising in atomic-level surface engineering that bridges the gap between AI simulation and physical manufacturing

• Mandy Birch, CEO of TreQ – a global quantum engineering and manufacturing company pioneering an open-architecture approach to quantum computing infrastructure, designed to accelerate the path toward quantum advantage

• Andrew Hancock, Founder of BrandAsylum – a branding consultancy helping high-growth businesses to hone their brand identity

1. Know your audience and drive relevance over reach

Pressure to boost brand visibility ramps up ahead of funding rounds, with a push for more coverage, activity and noise. But broad-brush PR that drives reach can hurt credibility with investors.

Phil learned this first-hand at Layrr. Rather than chasing top-of-funnel noise through coverage in national titles, the team niched down on the specific publications read by Layrr’s audience. A detailed PR piece in Metal AM, describing the company’s nano-coating process, generated direct inbound contact from the right people, despite the publication’s small readership.

Phil comments: “It's about resonating with technical people. A very niche article in a very niche publication will often get better engagement, even though the actual number of views may be relatively low. Beware of the vanity metrics.”

The fifty people who read the piece are almost certainly more valuable than five thousand who take a cursory glance at a general business feature.

Phil suggests thought leadership has its place, but only when it's backed by substance: “It is important to be perceived as a thought leader, but that perception must be backed by data. Investment readiness is about ticking all the boxes across the spectrum of what a business is.”

As for TreQ’s approach, Mandy suggests it’s important to strike the right balance when it comes to the company’s PR: “Most quantum PR swings between overly simplified and overly technical. Getting that balance right is the real challenge, especially when explaining how complex systems actually work.”

2. Build a brand before anything else

Often, you can see founders treat their brand as something of an afterthought that they return to once the science is proven. At BrandAsylum, Andrew has watched that instinct cost companies and says it is a pattern he has seen repeated across the region.

He comments: “Get it wrong, and you'll end up reworking it three, six or twelve months down the line. Often at far greater cost.”

Building a brand isn't simply a logo refresh or a website update. It's the constant positioning that shapes every external conversation with investors, talent, stakeholders and partners.

PR that doesn’t have a strong brand to back it up is simply noise, lacking direction because there's nothing coherent underneath it to amplify and build trust. For Andrew, the sequence is key; build the brand first, then communicate about it later.

3. Build credibility and avoid noise for the sake of it

Phil suggests founders who are too prominent with comms surrounding funding rounds can signal the wrong thing to the investors who matter most. He comments: “Telling people you're raising money smells of desperation. Always create the FOMO first.”

Yes, the funding round should create FOMO, but it shouldn't be an isolated announcement. The narrative going into a round should be built gradually, detailing what's been proven over time and where the business is going.

Sarah adds: “Comms is incredibly important and something that a lot of companies preparing to raise often overlook. Building a sense of profile, purpose and mission; giving an identity to the problem that they’re solving and the potential impact is crucial. People think they need a good pitch deck, but telling the story and building a reputation for being a credible player is just as important.”

Mandy agrees: “Start when you’ve achieved something real. Not slides. Not intent. Not even a plan. Something integrated, tested or operating. Consistency matters more than volume.”

She suggests third-party endorsement is equally important, adding: “Anyone can tell their own story. Investors pay attention when others (journalists, partners, customers) tell it with you. That’s when credibility starts to compound.”

And when it comes to shaping that story, Phil’s advice is straightforward: “Be clear on what you are trying to achieve and how you want to achieve it.”

In short, credibility should build gradually through visible momentum.

4. Be consistent, not just visible

A sudden burst of activity before a round rarely delivers impact if there’s been months of silence beforehand. Investors will see that flurry as a flash in the pan.

TreQ's approach highlights this well. Founded in 2023, the company set out to do something quite rare in quantum computing by demonstrating delivery rather than intent. By the time the company began building its public profile, it already had a functioning system online, an operational manufacturing centre and a team that had previously built some of the world's first commercial quantum computers.

Mandy says TreQ focused on building the foundations steadily rather than generating sporadic noise and hype: “Most investors come in through trusted relationships, so a clear, consistent narrative carries further than a burst of attention. At TreQ, that means showing what's been built, tested and how it performs as a usable and useful system.”

It's a challenge she knows is particularly true in the quantum space, where there can be a significant gap between what's been announced and what's been built. She adds: “You’re building proof over time. For us, PR and comms became a priority around our $5M seed round, opening our quantum innovation and manufacturing centre and bringing our first open-architecture quantum system online. We want to focus on demonstrating we can deliver.”

5. Selling your people and your product

Deep tech founders are, understandably, close to the tech and the science. But a strong product without a coherent story is a difficult investment case to make.

Andrew says this is one of the biggest mistakes he sees, and often, can be the most damaging: “They often focus entirely on the product and neglect the brand around it. The story becomes fragmented or overly technical, making it difficult for investors to connect the dots. The shift is simple but powerful: move from an inside-out perspective to an outside-in one. Present as a complete business, not just a product, not just a P&L, but a coherent and credible proposition.”

Sarah has seen this play out across Oxfordshire, saying businesses with clear storytelling and a focus on the individual are often those that stand out and generate the most interest with investors.

She comments: “If you speak to any investor, they will say they're investing in people. The tech needs to be good, but it's people who make the business and who they’re investing in. Anything that adds to that credibility piece and raises awareness of the opportunity and excitement around the sector is really positive. You just have to get your story out there.”

The companies that attract investment most effectively are rarely the loudest, but those that communicate over time with clarity, consistency and credibility.

Across the conversations, the same recommendations emerged: know your audience, build the brand before amplifying it, prove substance before pushing visibility and maintain a narrative that builds trust long before a funding round begins.

Ultimately, investor-ready companies are able to explain their complex ideas clearly, evidence real momentum and present themselves as coherent, credible businesses, not just those that hype up the technology.